Happy Thursday, friend. Ever been so committed to your creative vision that you said, “Yeah, let’s record a literal monkey screaming”? Because that’s exactly what one classic video game team did. Spoiler: It worked out pretty well for them.

🐒 Pop quiz: Which retro game used actual monkey screeches in its sound library: A) Donkey Kong, B) Sonic the Hedgehog, C) Pitfall!, or D) Space Invaders? Find the answer at the end!

Every five seconds, someone’s identity is stolen. Yours could be next. I use NordProtect because it actually stops identity theft. Real protection, real alerts, not false promises and tons of upsells. Grab 65% off now before it’s too late. — Kim

I would love a foldable phone. It’s fun to imagine strutting into a coffee shop, flipping open your phone like you’re Batman calling Alfred. 

But now Samsung’s dropped the seventh-gen Galaxy Z Fold and Flip, Google threw in the Pixel Fold, Motorola whipped out retro with the modern Razr+, and I’ve got questions. 

It all sounds exciting until you start looking closer.

🛠️ How they work

Foldable phones use ultrathin flexible glass over OLED displays, combined with a mechanical hinge system. The tech allows the phone to physically bend while still displaying a full-resolution screen. 

The hinges are engineered to survive hundreds of thousands of folds, which maths out to up to a decade of opening and closing more than a few times a day.

📱 Big screens, big prices

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 opens like a book, giving you a tablet-size 7.6-inch screen inside and a 6.2-inch screen outside. 

The Flip 7 folds vertically like a compact mirror that’s a 6.7-inch screen when open and a 3.4-inch mini display on the outside. Perfect for glancing at texts and ignoring people in real life.

Google’s Pixel Fold offers a wider front screen and a slightly smaller inside display.

They’re eye-catching, no doubt. But here’s the part that usually gets glossed over: The Fold 7 starts at $1,899 and the Pixel Fold at $1,799. The Flip 7 and Motorola’s Razr+ are slightly more “affordable” at around $999, but still a serious chunk of change.

These phones are bulkier, more fragile and harder to protect than the slab you already own. 

🤔 Fun to try, not own

Foldables are like marriages based on chemistry: thrilling at first, full of cracks later. They’re cool for early adopters, tech collectors and people who like showing off gadgets. There’s nothing wrong with that, just don’t confuse a flashy fold with long-term value.

Battery life still lags behind traditional phones. Foldable displays, while tougher than before, are still more prone to damage. And the software? Think beta, not breakthrough. 

You don’t get more phone, you just get more surface area and more things that can go wrong.

🍎 And yes, Apple is coming

You heard it here: Apple is testing foldable iPhones behind closed doors. The rumors say 2026 for a release. One model folds like a book, the other like a flip phone. Apple’s waiting until the tech is truly seamless, no half-baked experiments.

My advice? Sit this trend out. The wow factor fades fast, but the price tag doesn’t.

If your identity were stolen, would you even know the signs? A strange charge here, a missing bill there… or worse, debt collectors chasing you for accounts you never opened. These aren’t just red flags, they’re loud sirens warning that your identity may have been stolen. 

That’s why I use NordProtect. They’ve got my back 24/7. The moment my data shows up where it shouldn't, I get an alert. It monitors my credit, tracks my finances, and if something goes wrong, I've got real support plus up to $1 million in identity theft coverage.

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🚨 Don’t trust every AI summary in Gmail: Heads up! Scammers are getting smarter and sneakier. Some are now hiding dangerous messages in white text on a white background, like “Your password was compromised, call this number.” You won’t see it with your eyes, but Gmail’s Gemini AI does and it might include that hidden message in the email’s summary, making it sound like a real warning from Google. The takeaway? Always double-check emails yourself before clicking or calling anything. AI is helpful, but it’s not perfect, and hackers know how to work around it.

⚾ Robo-umps at bat: MLB’s All-Star Game is testing robo-umps, and pitchers are having an existential crisis. It’s not C‑3PO calling the game. There’s still a human ump, just with an earpiece feeding real-time calls. Each team gets two ball/strike challenges. Basically a high-tech cheat sheet with zero patience for bad takes. 

Copilot can see you: Microsoft just gave Copilot Vision full desktop eyes. Now, instead of peeking at one app, the AI can see everything you’ve got open. Yes, your billion tabs. Just hit the glasses icon and start chatting. You can also trigger it with your voice. It’s like Clippy evolved and learned surveillance tactics.

🛻 I think he might be right: Waze’s cofounder thinks Gen Beta (those born from 2025 to around 2039) won’t ever touch a steering wheel. With Tesla and Waymo pushing robotaxis, Uri Levine says the future is all self-driving, and maybe mobile shoe stores. So yeah, traffic might just be a bunch of vans selling Crocs.

💾 Old PCs, new problems: If you’re using an older Intel PC with a Gigabyte motherboard, heads up: There’s a new vulnerability that could mess with your system memory. Gigabyte’s pushing out BIOS updates to fix it, but only for certain models. If your board’s too old, their advice is basically “call someone.” Start backing up. And updating. Immediately.

✨ You bring the motivation, these gadgets bring the polish.

• 🌬️ “Alexa, clear the air”: Kick allergens and odors to the curb with a smart air purifier (48% off).

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• 🧽 Floor it: This isn’t your grandma’s mop and bucket (21% off). It wrings itself and reaches over 5 feet. Neat.

🛒 Tidy up your cart: Click this secret link for more cleaning steals. Find the everyday things I actually use on my Amazon storefront.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Middle-click a link with your mouse wheel to open it in a new tab. Or middle-click an open tab to close it instantly. You’ll never right-click again.

📳 Custom buzz, who dis? On iPhone, you can make a personal vibration pattern for any contact. Go to Contacts, select someone, tap Edit, then choose Ringtone or Text Tone. Under Haptics, select Create New Vibration. Use your finger to tap out a pattern, then hit Stop and Save.

📺 Your TV isn’t a tablet: Here’s a simple rule. Take your TV’s size in inches and multiply it by 1.2 to get the best viewing distance. For example, if you’ve got a 50-inch screen, sit about 60 inches (or 5 feet) back. Now you can binge without straining your eyes.

📧 Take back that email: In Gmail, you can undo a sent message if you move fast. Click the Settings icon > See all settings > General, then find Undo Send. Set the cancellation period to 30 seconds, scroll down, and click Save Changes. Next time you regret an email, just hit Undo.

Free money waiting for you: You put money in and you should get money out. The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits helps you find money being held by prior employers.

🆓 Small-business owner? Download NetSuite’s free guide, “Navigating Global Trade: Three Insights for Leaders,” and find out how to stay ahead, even when the rules keep changing.*

🍏 Rename multiple files on Mac: Got a folder full of random file names like IMG_2348? Select them all with Cmd + A, right-click and choose Rename. In the drop-downs, pick Format, then Name and Index and type something like “Hawaii” under Custom Format. Set Start numbers at 1, and hit Rename.

The Blue Marlin just became the world’s first inland vessel powered directly by solar panels, 192 of them, to be exact. 

Built by HGK Shipping and Wattlab, the 282-foot cargo ship can generate 37,500 kWh a year, slashing CO₂ emissions by nearly 80,000 pounds. 

It’s part barge, part aquatic Batmobile, with remote controls and diesel backup for cloudy days.

Unlike earlier ships with solar add-ons, this one moves on sunlight. 

Basically, it’s the Prius of the river, if the Prius were 282 feet long and carried steel instead of stress.

🦍 Answer: A) Donkey Kong. Nintendo used actual monkey sounds in the original arcade game in 1981. Talk about bananas! 

Legend has it, the famous “ooh‑ooh” and grunt sounds came from a real gibbon. And if that sounds oddly specific, it’s because the dev team wanted DK to sound “playful, but unhinged.” Mission accomplished.

Speaking of … What do you call two monkeys that share an Amazon account? Prime mates. (I hear that groan!)

Hackers don’t need your permission, just one weak link, and your identity is theirs. I don’t take chances. I use NordProtect to stay one step ahead. Full protection, 65% off right now. Don’t wait.

📬 If today’s edition of the #1 tech newsletter in the United States brought you joy (or just screamed into your inbox like an ’80s monkey), forward it to your favorite human. Reward their curiosity. 

Tomorrow: Millennials are next on the scam chopping block. Yes, even the “tech-savvy” ones. Actually, especially the tech-smart ones are losing big money to scams that look way too real.

You’re crushing this whole “being a human” thing. 🙌 — Kim

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